The second, Rana pipiens kandiyohi, had a dark ground color and a pattern that was so busy that the frog looked reticulated rather than spotted.



It was only the accidental noticing of some pix of each of these leopard frog mutations that brought them to mind today. I had first seen both at a biological supply company when I was a kid. Then while reading some old herp accounts, I happened across the names again in the late 1990s.

In the early 2000s, I decided to take a jaunt northward to try and find these critters. That was a long trip and I failed to find either. Then after my return to Florida, a friend, learning of my efforts, offered me a couple of each and they were only a FedEx call away.

I should have looked into this avenue of acquisition to begin with, LOL.

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.